Outlandish Angry Atheist Attack Claims Conference that includes Facebook and Google Executives Somehow Violates the Establishment Clause in the Military

Angry Atheist's Outlandish Attack

So you thought you heard it all from the angry atheist, anti-Christian extremists led by Mikey Weinstein and the absurdly named Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) – think again. This time they are ludicrously claiming that a leadership conference that includes executives from Facebook and Google, along with religious leaders of numerous denominations, somehow violates the Establishment Clause in the military. This inane accusation is totally disrespectful and dishonoring to those who serve our nation. We’re directly engaging to legally defend the religious liberty of those who defend our freedoms from these outlandish attacks.

This week at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, individual Airmen and civilian employees have been offered the opportunity to participate in a Leadership Conference. The conference is being organized and run by the Willow Creek Association, a faith-based group “committed to the singular idea that inspired, encouraged and equipped Christian leaders [to] transform their communities.” The conference is being supported by the Base Chaplains Office, which sent out an email informing the base community of the conference and inviting those who might be interested in participating. Note: No person is being pressured to participate—each individual is free to decide for him or herself whether to avail him or herself of the opportunity.

Ever on the prowl to ferret out potential religious wrongdoing by what he describes in this instance as “mercantile oriented, fundamentalist evangelical Christian[s],” Mr. Michael L. “Mikey” Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation didn’t hesitate to sound the alarm and allege serious wrongdoing worthy of severe punishment. He rushed a demand letter to the Commanding Officer of the 88th Air Base Wing at Wright-Patterson AFB, alleging numerous violations of Air Force regulations and demanding that the Commander “immediately investigate this matter,” that he “take timely, appropriate corrective action,” and that he “punish[] . . . those who have allowed these dangerous violations of Air Force regulations to ensue.”

So, what were the “dangerous violations” that Mr. Weinstein had identified?

First, he complains that the “invitation does not specify a targeted religious audience, stating instead that, ‘[t]he event . . . is for everyone interested in growing their leadership skills’” (emphasis added). According to Mr. Weinstein, the mere sending of an invitation to all potentially interested persons somehow violates Air Force regulations.

As we point out in our letter to the Air Force commander, that is utter nonsense. Mr. Weinstein has apparently decided that he has authority to determine to whom such an invitation may be sent and to whom it must be denied. One wonders who made him king and ruler of all. Yet, according to the conference website, the Global Leadership Summit has worked with groups representing more than 90 denominations. So much for Mr. Weinstein’s claim that the conference will reflect what he calls “this narrow religious viewpoint.” Ninety denominations, instead, suggest a pretty broad outreach.

Second, Mr. Weinstein also claims that, if the Commanding Officer does not do what is demanded of him, he will be showing “favoritism of one faith over another or no faith,” which in turn will “eviscerate[] good order, morale, discipline, unit cohesion, health and safety and military readiness of those military and civilian members” he commands. Such claims are simply unbelievable!

According to Mr. Weinstein, one short email inviting Airmen and civilian employees to a leadership conference at which Biblical principles of leadership may be shared will utterly destroy the entire command. Weinstein essentially claims that:

Good order and discipline—Gone! Morale and unit cohesion—Gone! Health and safety—Gone! Military readiness—Gone!

What is actually gone here is any semblance of reason and logic in this matter on the part of Weinstein and MRFF.

Unlike Mr. Weinstein, we have considerably higher confidence in the resilience of the Airmen and civilian workforce at Wright-Patterson AFB. Yet, even if Mr. Weinstein is right, that all those bad things will happen if the Commanding Officer does not take the drastic action that Mr. Weinstein demands, then the real problem would be with the quality, maturity, and training of the persons at Wright-Patterson AFB, not simply with the content of an email sent from the Chaplains Office.

People like Mr. Weinstein believe that they have the right—even the duty—to determine for others what rights they may exercise in the military. Yet, the Constitution is clear. When discussing the right to free exercise of religion, it must be clearly understood that free exercise of religion means what it says—free exercise.

Free exercise may not be legitimately limited to what some government official or civilian advocacy group (like the MRFF) or civilian attorney (like Mr. Weinstein) may think it should mean—or is willing to tolerate. After all, as the Supreme Court aptly noted, “religious beliefs need not be acceptable, logical, consistent, or comprehensible to others in order to merit First Amendment protection.”

Although the Armed Services clearly have different rules than civilian society, the ACLJ is committed to protect the rights of the men and women in uniform to the maximum extent possible, consistent with the unique nature of military service. We will oppose all who seek to restrict the rights of those protecting our Nation in uniform beyond what the needs of good order and discipline require. We invite you to stand with us in protecting the rights of those who are willing to lay down their lives to protect us.

Receive the latest news, updates, and contribution opportunities from ACLJ.

Donate now as we battle anti-Christian extremists’ attack on religious freedom in the military & chaplains, and have your gift DOUBLED today. Have your gift doubled through our Matching Challenge.

If you are having technical difficulties with our donation processor, it may be overloaded at the moment. Please refresh or check our site again in a couple of hours as we work to resolve any issues. For any questions or to make a donation by phone, please call our Member Services department at ‎1-800-342-2255‎.

Donate now as we battle anti-Christian extremists’ attack on religious freedom in the military & chaplains, and have your gift DOUBLED today. Have your gift doubled through our Matching Challenge.

Our payment processor is overloaded at the moment. Please consider using PayPal to donate, or check our site again in a couple of hours as they work to resolve any issues. For any questions or to make a donation by phone, please call our Member Services department at ‎1-800-342-2255‎.

Encourage your friends to sign and donate by sharing this petition.

Thank you for making a donation!

Thank you for making your generous, tax-deductible gift to the American Center for Law and Justice. Your support is greatly appreciated. A confirmation of your gift will be emailed to you shortly. To learn how we manage the resources you provide, click here.

Save this Card!

Saving this card to your account will enable our 1-click donation form. It will be pre-filled with your information, allowing you to quickly and securely make a tax-deductible donation to the ACLJ.

For years, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has used U.S. taxpayer dollars to subsidize their notorious “pay for slay” program used to entice and reward jihadists who murder innocent Americans and Israelis. When a Palestinian terrorist stabbed ten innocent civilians and murdered an American citizen,

In confirmation of news we brought you not long ago, it has now been verified by multiple news outlets that the Department of Justice is, in fact, investigating Planned Parenthood and its illegal practices, such as profiting from the sale of aborted fetal tissue. The Chairman of the Senate...

From Day One , the ACLJ has been aggressively calling for Congress and federal and state law enforcement to investigate Big Abortion for the horrific practice of selling aborted babies’ body parts (fetal tissue) for profit. It’s illegal, but until recently has gone on unhindered from the fear of...

As explained here , the Trump administration issued Interim Final Rules last month regarding religious and moral exemptions under the HHS abortion-pill mandate. For years, we fought for the government to provide these conscience protections. The previous administration’s campaign to force religious...

In the latest attack by Mikey Weinstein and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), the target is not only the United States military (MRFF’s venomous specialty) but is also an attack on history, in this case the history of the Korean War. At Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, there is a...

Government regulators are at it again. They have issued complaints against Christian realtors who run their business in accordance with their faith. Instead of protecting our constitutional rights, the government insists on silencing Christians and singling them out for discrimination. We have...

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) today filed an amicus curiae brief – friend-of-the-court brief – at the Supreme Court of the United States in support of legislative prayer. In the case Rowan County, North Carolina v. Lund , we are asking the Court to support the county’s request to...

The ACLJ is an organization dedicated to the defense of constitutional liberties secured by law.

American Center for Law and Justice is a d/b/a for Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism,
Inc., a tax-exempt, not-for-profit, religious corporation as defined under Section 501(c)(3)
of the Internal Revenue Code, specifically dedicated to the ideal that religious freedom and
freedom of speech are inalienable, God-given rights. The Center's purpose is to engage legal,
legislative and cultural issues by implementing an effective strategy of advocacy, education
and litigation to ensure that those rights are protected under the law. The organization has
participated in numerous cases before the Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeals, Federal
District Courts, and various state courts regarding freedom of religion and freedom of speech.
Your gift is very much appreciated and fully deductible as a charitable contribution. A copy
of our latest financial report may be obtained by writing to us at P.O. Box 90555, Washington,
DC 20090-0555.